Dear Editor,

Apparently Buzz Hargrove, CAW president has been getting some feedback in response to his intention to drop support for OCAP as a result of the Whitby Symbolic eviction incident. I am not surprised. It seems he has been getting more input from those who oppose OCAP action than from those who are in support.

Having lived through the historical destruction of the Left in the Trade Union Movement in general and the UAW/CAW in particular during the post WWII period, with the emerging Right successfully replacing the left, then this also does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that Buzz goes along with this bull!

What we should keep in mind is the fact that, during the formative years of the mass production unions and the UAW in particular, if the organizing committees and the locals involved had not engaged in illegal action and a fair amount of violence, Buzz Hargrove would not have a union to lead today.

Examples of this abound in our labour history, but lets just look at one, the history of which Hargrove should be familiar: the 45 Ford Strike and the blockade in Windsor, Ontario.

When Ford Plant Protection officers tried to enter the plant and allow office personnel to enter, they were physically stopped by mass picket activity. When the Windsor Police were brought in to open the lines, picket lines swelled with the instant response of the flying squads and support from Local 195. Police were physically stopped with the kind of picket line violence that ruptured the law.

When word got out that the Provincial Police and Mounties were to get involved, the massive blockade was thrown up. While many of the car drivers were willing participants, a great many were not, and were forced to participate.

This was law-breaking violence that actually prevented blood from running in the streets.

Remember, that working class victory (the 45 strike) was successful because of the support of Ford workers and workers from other locals and massive public support from the people of Windsor.

Just imagine for a moment, if you will, what would have happened in 45 if the labour confrontation had been handled by the so-called union standards of today.

When the cops would approach the gates to breach the picket line, a handful of radical kids would confront them while the vast majority of the union membership led by so called responsible leaders would stand back and not get involved, and would, quite likely walk away from the scene.

The handful of radical kids would be pummeled by the police and the strike would have been lost. The kind of violence engaged by these radical kids would naturally result in massive bloodshed due to the police attack. This is not just speculation. We have already witnessed such violence at Seattle, Windsor, Quebec and other places.

Had we acted as a labour movement today like the 45 Ford strikers had acted, with massive organized labour support for the radical kids in Seattle, Quebec and Windsor, the massive power of an organized and militant labour movement would have guaranteed no such violence against the kids, much like the mobilization during the 45 strike which overwhelmed the power of the police.

The power of organized labour has the potential of winning all its battles. But Buzz Hargrove, one of the pre-eminent union leaders, is actually sabotaging such working class power by turning his back on OCAP.

Mansfield Mathias, CAW Local 200 Retiree, Windsor, Ontario